The 2021 Madness WrapUp | Baseball: Extreme Makeover Edition
The FIX Is In?
TWIN massive Raffia palm trees stand guard proudly, each stretching 50-odd feet into the azure Costa Rican sky impertinent to stiff seasonal so-called Papagayo winds. The trees can be seen for blocks along Calle 8 and are known warmly and instinctually to town residents as points of pride. For the tall palms mark the location of the long-running Rawlings factory here in Turrialaba, a small working class city nearly Pacific and Atlantic equidistant. The factory is a beehive of daily activity as nearly 350 workers stream under the trees, past a tired chain link security gate sometimes propped open with an orange traffic cone and through the 60 foot open air corridor protected from the elements by a weather-beaten red metal roof. Once inside, the unmistakable trappings of Americana and Major League Baseball collide in nostalgic euphoria. This Rawlings factory is the birthplace for ALL baseballs used in MLB. “The Most Beautiful Piece of Sports Equipment in the World” is still laboriously hand-crafted in this tropical locale. Giant ceiling-strung fans whir overhead doing their best to tame the intense humidity, wool string measured in miles and of varying weight can be witnessed spooled seemingly to the rafters. The smoky aroma of bespoke American cowhides perfumes the mill with the signature scent familiar to the finest Italian leather foundries found half a world away. And this is precisely where the problems began seven years ago.
Well, technically the problems were first detected on pitching mounds all across Baseball in 2015 when pitchers of all stripes complained of a different ball. They couldn’t put their finger on it (wink wink), but something was just amiss. For key players whose livelihoods depend upon physical perception and having developed nuanced relationships with such a venerated piece of equipment, something was clearly off. Even famed Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander accused MLB of spring-loading its signature product. As MLB officials shrugged puzzlingly, home run rates skyrocketed. Up 17% in 2015 (to 4909), up another 14% (to 5610) the next year off of 2015 numbers. The trend continued alarmingly where in 2019, 6776 home runs were recorded; 21% more than the 5585 fielded in 2018. In fact, Five of the six seasons with the highest home run rates in MLB history have occurred since 2016. THEN, An ugly expose into the supposed juicing of baseballs ricocheted from reporters at The Athletic that had tongues wagging all across the Sports world. MLB’s shrugs — and continued denials of any specification change — could be tolerated no longer. And so a large group of physics and scientists was empaneled at the MLB’s behest. Their findings released in 2019 did little to assuage pitchers concerns. The panel boiled down frothy, heady home run rates to natural variations in the manufacture of baseballs (still completely by hand, by design, of natural materials as it’s always been for more than a century and half). They noted, however, appreciably lower seam height on the baseballs (than those pre-2015) which could have theoretically increased aerodynamic efficiency. Also detected was increased “bounciness.” Interestingly, the panel pointed to stark changes in launch conditions during this time period. In other words, batters were swinging for the fences like lever before. But amidst the findings lurked no smoking guns. MLB thanked the panel, quickly disbanded it and pledged further internal study of the issue.
Just 61 days ago, the MLB declared to the World that they had a partial answer and it begins with our compadres at the now MLB-owned Rawlings plant in Turrialaba, Costa Rica. In simple terms, MLB is tinkering around the edges with the vaunted dog-eared recipe card that Rawlings clutches at down in Costa Rica. All in an effort to tighten manufacturing specifications and improve product consistency, drolled the press release. And to quiet nagging rumblings of ball juicing. The recipe calls for slightly lightening the ball and making is less bouncy. How this is accomplished is best understood through the lens of how a baseball is made. A small cork center is enrobed in black rubber. A final .24 cm coating of red rubber completes the “pill.” Molded by hand into a perfect crimson sphere, weighing 24.8 grams and exactly 10.48 cm in circumference, the pill is then greeted with a thin layer of cement. Next, three layers of varying densities of wool yarn are tightly wound around the rubberized cork pill; a staggering 657 feet in length. A final fourth layer of poly/cotton (another 450 feet)of finishing yarn caps the wool yarn and holds it in place. Finally, The entire affair is dipped in glue and two figure 8 cowhide coverings are sewn to the tightly wound ball with 88 inches of waxed red thread. Exactly 108 stitches are employed in the familiar herringbone pattern, the first and last hidden. The final ball is stamped, polished and forced through a gauntlet of Quality Control testing protocols and measured against rigorous MLB acceptability standards before shipment to the United States.
MLB’S recipe update includes de-tensioning of the first layer of wool winding wound atop the rubber pill rendering it slightly more squishy; less bounce for the ounce. This reduction results in a final ball that enjoys a 2.8 gram weight shed. Also, the signature red thread stitching similarly is now sewn with less tension. The end result is a slightly higher seam height, higher coefficient of drag and slower movement through the air. Taken together, we should see fewer homers. At least, that’s the theory. In total, 300,000 balls will be handcrafted at the Turrialaba factory for this upcoming Season, culled from MLB’s new directives. Each ball will only see an average of 6 pitches before being permanently retired to secondary uses such as batting/fielding practice. Quite the storied and painstaking production for such a short-lived existence each bathed beneath the bright lights of America’s pastime. Just as well. It’s a fitting narrative the lengths stakeholders will groan to all in an effort to make “the most beautiful piece of sports equipment in the World” a little less pretty, a pinch less stellar. Less airworthy, less juicy, less productive. Whatever you call it, just plain ol’ nutty. While MLB chases its tail and grasps at answers for hypotheticals, those twin Raffia palms down in Costa Rica laugh uncontrollably for the entire town to see. Only in Baseball. Only in America. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack. WE and the MLB can NEVER go back. Because it’s time to Play BALL 😊!
Turning now to the Madness at hand, it’s clear after slaking in the Final Four and the Championship Game Monday night, one party came to show OUT, the other to choke. And the heat of judgement eyes could definitely be felt. You know who you are. Baylor began its ascent and coupled it with gathering momentum without a doubt on the backend of this Tournament at precisely the opportune time. On Saturday the Bears tore apart Houston and left a smoke show in their wake. A few hours later, rust started setting in at Gonzaga as the beginnings of a death spiral could be smelled in the air. The game of the tournament arrived with the upstart Bruins taking on Gonzaga. It ended in a 3 point OT squeaker and the Bulldogs escaping an embarrassing upset; unusual for a Team used to double-digit routs. Which makes it all the more unsurprising to learn on Monday that Baylor played the brakes off of Gonzaga. The answer was never in doubt as the Bears were in full command of the court from tipoff. Gonzaga, meanwhile, wrestled with their doubts and lost. Unbeaten headed into the Tournament and the odd-on favorite for their NCAA coronation, the Bulldogs certainly picked the exact worst time for their first loss of the Season. Some would say UCLA did more damage on Saturday than Baylor on Monday by first shaking then escaping with Gonzaga’s confidence. Baylor exploited that shakiness and in the end took the Bulldogs on a long walk to the park on a short leash. Congratulations to the Bears, 2021 NCAA Mens BB Champions!
